Article

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of body weight-supported treadmill training and
overground walking training when matched for task and dose
(duration/frequency/intensity) on improving walking function, activity, and
participation after stroke.
DESIGN: Single-blind, pilot randomized controlled
trial with three-month follow-up. SETTINGS: University and community settings.
SUBJECTS: A convenience sample of participants (N = 20)
at least six months
post-stroke and able to walk independently were recruited. INTERVENTIONS:
Thirty-minute walking interventions (body weight-supported treadmill training or
overground walking training) were administered five times a week for two weeks.
Intensity was monitored with the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale at
five-minute increments to maintain a moderate training intensity. MAIN MEASURES:
Walking speed (comfortable/fast 10-meter walk), walking endurance (6-minute
walk), spatiotemporal symmetry, and the ICF Measure of Participation and ACTivity
were assessed before, immediately after, and three months following the
intervention.
RESULTS: The overground walking training group demonstrated
significantly greater improvements in comfortable walking speed compared with the
body weight-supported treadmill training group immediately (change of 0.11 m/s
vs. 0.06 m/s, respectively; p = 0.047) and three months (change of 0.14 m/s vs.
0.08 m/s, respectively; p = 0.029) after training. Only the overground walking
training group significantly improved comfortable walking speed (p = 0.001),
aspects of gait symmetry (p = 0.032), and activity (p = 0.003) immediately after
training. Gains were maintained at the three-month follow-up (p < 0.05) for all
measures except activity. Improvements in participation were not demonstrated.
CONCLUSION: Overgound walking training was more beneficial than body
weight-supported treadmill training at improving self-selected walking speed for
the participants in this study.
CI - (c) The Author(s) 2014.

Langue : ANGLAIS